Shatta Wale writes to Mahama on free speech, calls for balanced social media framework

Ghanaian dancehall artiste Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr., popularly known as Shatta Wale, has written an open letter to President John Dramani Mahama, calling for a balanced framework to address defamation, harassment and abuse on social media while protecting freedom of expression.

In the letter dated September 28, 2026, Shatta Wale said the growing challenges associated with online content required a framework that would promote accountability without undermining citizens’ constitutional rights.

His intervention comes amid a national discussion on the regulation of TikTok and other emerging digital platforms. President Mahama recently called for a national stakeholder dialogue on online content, including misinformation, hate speech and abusive language, while cautioning against criminalising legitimate criticism, political commentary, satire and dissent.

Shatta Wale said his position was informed partly by his experience as a creative who had faced what he described as unverified allegations and public ridicule.

He argued that the culture of harmful commentary did not begin with social media but had evolved from sections of entertainment commentary and comment sections before being amplified by platforms that allow users to broadcast information instantly.

According to him, the consequences now affect a broad section of society, including traditional leaders, businesspeople, journalists, public officials and ordinary citizens.

Seven proposals

Shatta Wale proposed that Parliament, the Judiciary, security agencies, media institutions and civil society work together to develop a clearly defined legal framework for serious and proven online misconduct.

He said the framework should provide due process and independent judicial oversight, while expressly protecting legitimate criticism, journalism, satire and political expression.

He also called for stronger account verification by platforms operating in Ghana, suggesting that the system could build on existing Ghana Card and SIM registration arrangements.

However, he cautioned against making the surrender of anonymity a condition for participating in public discourse, proposing that court orders could be used to identify accounts involved in proven cases of harassment or defamation.

On sanctions, Shatta Wale called for proportionate penalties where Parliament determines that particular online conduct should be criminalised. He suggested that short custodial sentences could be considered for specific offences, with emphasis on deterrence and correction.

He further urged policymakers to ensure that any new legislation does not effectively reintroduce criminal libel, following Ghana’s repeal of criminal libel and seditious laws in 2001.

Beyond legislation, the artiste called for public education on responsible online conduct and urged government to consult the creative industry early in the policy process.

Shatta Wale said the objective should not be to silence citizens but to restore responsibility to public discourse while preserving democratic freedoms.

President Mahama has similarly said the ongoing debate should determine how Ghana can address harmful online content without undermining freedom of expression. At a town hall meeting in New York on September 25, he urged stakeholders to collectively decide how TikTok and other new media platforms should be regulated.

Shatta Wale concluded his letter by expressing his readiness to contribute to the national dialogue on social media regulation.